TEAM KANNELLONI
Team Kannelloni is much more than just a cycling team: it’s a group of friends united by a passion for cycling, a love of challenges, and a desire to do good. Born almost by chance, from a meaningful and affectionate gesture, today the team is a vibrant and growing organization, capable of combining sport, friendship, and solidarity. Every ride, every event, and every initiative has a single goal: to transform hardship into hope by supporting research into blood diseases through support for AIL Varese.
How did your team/project come about?
On June 18, 2022, at the age of 59, after a long and arduous battle with acute myeloid leukemia, Luca, a businessman and a key figure in the Varese community, passed away. From that loss, an idea was born: his son Nicolò, a passionate cyclist, proposed a special challenge to his closest friends—tackling some of the most iconic passes in our mountains to reach, for the first time, Luca’s hometown of Vittorio Veneto. From that adventure, Ride To Donate took shape, a fundraiser for AIL Varese, a branch of the Italian Association against Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma, which has long supported the Hematology Unit at the Varese Circolo Hospital. Since then, the group has grown, becoming a fully-fledged ASD (Association of Cycling Clubs) and beginning to organize increasingly ambitious cycling events: hill climbs, winter training camps, and, most importantly, the fourth edition of Ride To Donate, which has now become the beating heart of our activities.
What are the values and mission of your team/project?
At the heart of Team Kannelloni is the desire to experience the world on foot, sharing the road with lifelong friends and welcoming anyone who wants to be part of this family. Our mission is simple and profound: to have fun, work hard together, and donate the fruits of every effort to scientific research. We are not a competitive team in the strictest sense, but a group that believes that every climb we face and every kilometer we travel can have a tangible impact in the fight against blood diseases.
How do you plan to influence the cycling community?
We don’t pretend to influence anyone. Our approach to cycling is free and lighthearted, far from the exasperation of numbers and performance at all costs. Despite a serious and important mission, the team’s approach is deliberately light-hearted and playful. We want to promote a way of experiencing cycling based on friendship, inclusion, and fun, where the desire to challenge oneself goes hand in hand with the serenity of enjoying the road together, free of stress and pressure.
What was the inspiration behind your kit’s design? Is there a particular story behind it?
The choice of purple as the primary color is no coincidence: it is universally associated with scientific research and perfectly represents our charitable mission. From this, we began to create a modern, clean, and eye-catching style that is recognizable and distinctive. The absence of sponsors on the jersey, with the exception of Team Kannelloni and Santini, is a deliberate choice: a way to reinforce the sense of belonging to the group, allowing our shared passion and commitment to speak for us.
Team Kannelloni is more than just a cycling team, it’s a community united by strong values, turning every ride into an act of solidarity. Every event, every challenge, and every jersey worn tells a story of friendship, memory, and hope. Whether it’s scaling a peak, organizing a training camp, or supporting research, our goal remains the same: to ride together, have fun, and do good.